"The Carpet Crawlers", also sometimes listed as "Carpet Crawl", "The Carpet Crawl" or "Carpet Crawlers", is a song originally from the 1974 Genesis

Genesis (band)

Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...

 concept album

Concept album

In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...

 The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

The Lamb Lies down on Broadway

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a double concept album recorded and released in 1974 by the British rock band Genesis. It was their sixth studio album and the last album by the group to feature the involvement of lead singer Peter Gabriel.-Premise:...

. The song was re-recorded in 1999 with the name "The Carpet Crawlers 1999".

In this portion of The Lamb story, the main character Rael finds himself in a red carpeted corridor, filled with kneeling people that are slowly crawling towards a red door at the end of the hall. Rael dashes by them towards the door and goes through it. Behind the door is a table with a candlelit feast on it, and behind that, a spiral staircase that leads upwards out of sight.

Releases

"The Carpet Crawlers" reappears on the 1976 Genesis: In Concert

Genesis: In Concert

Genesis In Concert is a concert film directed and produced by Tony Maylam for the English progressive rock band Genesis. The recording of the film took place during concerts in Glasgow, Scotland and Stafford, England in 1976...

with Bill Bruford

Bill Bruford

William Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...

 on drums, and on Seconds Out

Seconds Out

Seconds Out is a live double album by Genesis, released in October 1977. It reached No.4 in the UK, remaining in the charts for 17 weeks. The performances were recorded in Paris in 1976 and 1977 on their tours in support of A Trick of the Tail and Wind & Wuthering...

, Genesis's 1977 live album. It was also played on subsequent tours in 1978, 1980, 1981 and the Six of the Best

Six of the best

Six of the Best was the name chosen for the reunion concert of the rock band Genesis with former founding member Peter Gabriel which took place on a wet 2 October 1982 at National Bowl, in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England...

 reunion concert with Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel

Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...

. A re-recorded version, called "Carpet Crawlers 1999", was released on the compilation album Turn It on Again: The Hits

Turn It on Again: The Hits

Turn It On Again: The Hits is a greatest hits collection by British progressive rock band Genesis. The album was first released as a single album on 26 October 1999 by Virgin Records in England and by Atlantic Records in the United States.In 2007, an expanded two-disc edition, subtitled The Tour...

; this was the last recording to date by the 5-man line-up of Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel

Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...

, Steve Hackett

Steve Hackett

Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...

, Tony Banks

Tony Banks (musician)

This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...

, Phil Collins

Phil Collins

Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....

 and Mike Rutherford

Mike Rutherford

Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...

. The B-sides of the 1999 single were "Turn it on Again

Turn It On Again

"Turn It On Again" is a single from the British progressive rock band Genesis, from their 1980 album Duke.The lyrics deal with a man who does nothing more than watch his television, so much that he becomes obsessed with the people he watches on it, believing them to be his friends.The song is also...

" and "Follow You Follow Me". The song is also included as the final track of the 2007 live album Live Over Europe 2007

Live Over Europe 2007

Live over Europe 2007 is the sixth live album by British band Genesis recorded during the Turn It on Again: The Tour of 2007. It was released in North America by Atlantic Records on 20 November 2007, and in Europe on by Virgin Records on 26 November 2007.-Disc 1:# "Duke's Intro" – Manchester –...

and on the live DVD When in Rome 2007

When in Rome 2007

When In Rome 2007 is a live DVD by Genesis recorded at Circo Massimo, Rome, Italy, on 14 July 2007, during the successful Turn It On Again Tour. The concert was directed by David Mallet. The collection was released on 26 May 2008 in most of the world and 10 June 2008 in North America...

.

Cover versions

The song was covered by the French band Matis on their album "Encore" released in 2006. A version was also recorded by John Ford (ex-The Strawbs) for a tribute album. Another version was covered by the jazz band Fragile on their 2007 cover album smile and by Human Drama on their 1993 'Pin Ups' release. Leon Alvarado covered the song in his album "Leon Plays Genesis and Other Original Stuff" released in 2008.

Personnel

• Peter Gabriel: vocals
• Steve Hackett: electric guitar
• Mike Rutherford: 12-string guitar, bass guitar (only on the 1999 version), bass pedals
• Phil Collins: drums, backing vocals
• Tony Banks: ARP Pro-Soloist, RMI electra-piano